This invention relates to an electric cooking apparatus using an electric heating element.
An electric cooking apparatus, such as a frying pan, hot plate, or griddle, conventionally heats its cooking plate using a heating element such as a sheath heater or a tubular element. The cooking plate is heated by heat produced by electric energy passing through a high resistance. Items to be cooked, such as meat and vegetables, are placed directly on the cooking plate. As the food cooks, however, cooking juices are produced during the cooking process, and the food cooks in its own juices. In addition, as the juices boil away or evaporate, the residue clings to the food being cooked. This residue affects the appearance and taste of the food.
Broiling and grilling cooking methods overcome this problem by separating the heat source from the food. A broiling pan in an oven/broiler combination contains a drip pan that allows the cooking juices to drip to a lower section away from the food being broiled. When grilling food over a heat source, the cooking juices drip directly onto the heat source, as in an outdoor gas grill or an indoor electric grill.